Simba's Curiosity
by DJRabidPunk
Summary: Simba is curios about other worlds and needs a vacation, and suddenly Sora finds himself with a delicious human Simba in Destiny Islands. Things will get definitely be getting heavy here. !human!SimbaxSora, yaoi, potential cursing, blah, blah, blah...
1. Chapter 1

**Simba's Curiosity**

"Hey, Sora. What's it like?" Sora looked up from the pool of water he'd been staring at, primed to catch a fish. So far, he hadn't had much luck. Simba had been trying to teach him how, but it didn't seem like something he was ever going to be good at. At least not with paws.

"What's what like?" Simba rolled onto his back, batting at a piece of tall grass.

"Where you come from. Don't the older lions teach their young how to fish?" Sora sat up, plopping down on his haunches with a weary sigh.

"Er, no, not really." Simba gave him an incredulous look and flipped back over, leaning closer to Sora with infinitely curious eyes.

"Really? Why? Don't you have any fish?" Sora scratched his ear with a hind paw, trying to figure out how to explain this to Simba without breaking the rules.

"Well, um, we…barter for our fish." Simba looked confused.

"Barter? What's that?"

"We trade other things to get fish." Simba nodded and glanced at the water. Quicker than Sora's eyes could follow, his paw had darted forward and he scooped a fish right out of the river, threw it up into the air, and caught in his mouth. Sora scowled.

"Showoff." Simba waggled his eyebrows and tried to speak, but with a mouth full of dead fish, words don't really work out so well. Sora laughed loudly at his friend's crazy antics and pushed himself to his feet. Simba followed him as they walked through the taller grass and out onto the plain, smaller animals scattering in their wake.

"You know, I'm not really all that young. I'm almost a grown-up," Sora said, leaping on top of a rock. Simba's eyes widened and he spat the fish out.

"What? That's crazy, I mean you're so... " Sora gave him a challenging look, and Simba quickly changed tactics. " If you're almost full grown, does that mean you're some kind of weird species of dwarf lion?" Sora snickered as he crouched down, butt wriggling in the air as he poised to pounce on a big beetle crawling towards him. He made a fantastic leap towards it and would have caught it had it not flown away at the last second. The brown cub peeked between his paws and groaned with despair when he saw his prize had escaped him.

"No, I'm not a dwarf. I don't really know why I'm so small here, to be honest. It kind of sucks." Simba nodded absently as he sat down and began to dissect his fish, grasping it between his paws before ripping the flesh away from the bone. Sora watched with a kind of fascinated disgust as Simba gulped down the raw meat.

"And I still don't get with that thing is for," Simba muttered, gesturing towards the necklace dangling against Sora's chest. Sora rolled his eyes; they had to have had this conversation at least a hundred times already.

"I told you, it's decoration." Simba scoffed softly as he broke the fish's spine with a soft _snap_, bone splintering in his powerful jaws. Sora suddenly felt mildly nauseous.

"What's the matter Sora, don't you think you're pretty enough?" Simba mocked, and Sora growled in response, sinking down into a hunting stance on top of his rock. Simba looked highly amused at this, tail flipping back and forth expectantly. Sora pounced…

…and Simba ducked.

Sora went rolling through the grass, scaring a small flock of birds in the process. It wasn't until he rolled down an entire hill and back into the river did he come to a stop. Simba's uproarious laughter followed him as he loped down the hill to where Sora sat in the shallows, spluttering and coughing.

"Sorry, Sora," Simba managed to gasp, reaching over to grab Sora by the scruff of his neck with his teeth and pulling him out of the water. Sora was set down on the bank, dripping wet and slightly humiliated. He couldn't even see; his hair had slicked down in front of his eyes and he couldn't really move it. Sighing deeply, he stood and shook, flinging water straight into Simba's face. Simba leapt back, straight into the water. They both laughed at each other's foolishness, when suddenly Zazu came fluttering down towards them, landing on Simba's head.

"Sire, your presence is required. We have a pair of angry rhinoceri who are about to get into a very destructive fight, and they seem incapable of listening to anyone. Other than each other's insults, that is." Simba sighed and slowly hauled himself ashore. Sora walked along with him as they headed back towards Pride Rock, the air tense. Sora wasn't quite sure what to say. It was obvious from his expression and the slump of his shoulders that Simba didn't want to have to go.

"It's a lot of responsibility, huh?" Simba glanced down at him.

"Yeah. A lot of pain in the-"

"Sire!"

"-too." Simba glared sullenly up at the bird roosting on his head. Sora repressed the urge to laugh.

"I know what you mean. It's a lot of work to take care of other people." Simba looked down in surprise, and then his expression cleared into comprehension.

"Sorry, sometimes I forget that you have responsibilities too, Sora. You just seem so at ease with it all." Sora laughed dryly.

"Yeah, right. Half the time I have no clue what I'm doing, or even if I have the right reasons for doing what I do." Simba's heavy paw nearly knocked Sora off his feet when it landed on his head.

"Sora, of all the people I know, your reasons are the most righteous." Sora smiled, ducking underneath Simba's paw and galloping ahead a bit.

"Race ya!" Simba laughed and hurried to catch up, Zazu squawking his protests the whole time.

~-~-~-~

"Ouch, stop that!" Simba hollered, his voice echoing around the cave. Rafiki rolled his eyes and continued to probe at his wound with his spindly fingers while Sora, Donald and Goofy watched.

"I really-ow- need a vacation from all this-Rafiki, you crazy old fart, that hurts!"

"Ahah! There it is!" Rafiki finally pulled the shard of rhino horn from Simba's side, and Donald quickly cured the lion king with a spell. Simba shifted to prop himself up on his elbows, staring at the spot.

"Wow." Sora shook his head.

"I can't believe that rhino charged you." Simba scowled as he pushed himself to his feet.

"I can't believe he actually hit me. I didn't think he'd turn towards me when I jumped out of the way." Sora bit his lip, contemplating an idea he had.

"You really want a vacation from this?" Simba blinked, looking slightly perplexed.

"Um, yeah. I just nearly got gored by a rhinoceros. I think it's time for a break." Sora glanced at Donald to see if he'd been caught yet. Nope; he looked confused as well. If Goofy knew where he was going with this, he certainly didn't let on. Sora proceeded.

"So you have someone that could rule in your place for a while?" Simba nodded.

"Zazu and Nala could work something out, I think. If they don't mind."

"Alright then. How would you like to come to my home for a while?" This was the point at which Donald began to shriek loudly.

"Sora! You know you can't take people away from their own world without serious consequences! Besides, it's against the rules!" Sora frowned, making the cutest puppy dog eyes he could.

"Come on, Donald! What's the worst that could happen? We're only going to go back to Destiny Islands, where's the harm in that?" Donald couldn't really argue with that, though he certainly tried to. Destiny Islands was currently the safest place to be, seeing as Sora, Riku, and Kairi were there most of the time. Heartless didn't even show up there anymore. Eventually, Donald was defeated, Nala and Zazu were given temporary authority over the Pride Lands, and Simba was in their ship, staring at all the funny colored surfaces.

"Everything's so…squishy." Sora snickered and hopped up onto a chair as Donald and Goofy prepared to take off. The Gummy Ship roared to life, making Simba jump and fold back his ears, hissing softly. Sora explained to him that it was just a noise the engine made and that it wasn't trying to threaten him. Simba accepted the explanation, though his folded ears and swishing tail showed that he was still ill at ease. They had just pulled away from the Pride Lands when Goofy said,

"Uh, Donald? Shouldn't you activate that spell-a-ma-jig you set up?" Donald nodded and smiled widely.

"You're right Goofy! Thanks for reminding me." Donald's wing reached out to slap a big green button on the control panel. Four bolts of magic flashed from the ceiling, hitting each occupant right on the noggin.

The pending result was not exactly the one desired, to say it nicely.

Donald, Goofy, and Sora were back to their original forms, sure. That wasn't the problem. The problem started when Simba screamed.

Not roared. _Screamed._

"Sora! You're…you're…!" Sora glanced back to where Simba had been sitting, only to find in his place the most surprising, and oddly pleasant sight Sora had seen in a while.

A gorgeous, redheaded wild man sat naked on the floor where Simba once had, amber eyes round with shock as he pointed at Sora. His long hair fell nearly to his shoulders, framing his face in a lazy, open way. His strong features would have seemed rather cruel-looking if his eyes hadn't held such innocence and warmth, even horror-struck as they were. And there was a rather cute dimple in his chin. Odd how you can notice those kind of things with only a cursory glance. With another, slightly longer glance, Sora took in the long, athletic body, firm muscles deliciously sculpted under tan flesh. And…oh, dear Lord. No clothes. Sora looked slightly over the redhead's shoulder and said,

"Donald? I think we have a problem."

AN: Haha, plot bunnies spurred this on. So, what do you guys think? I rather like the idea of Simba being human. I think he'd be smexy. XD Oh, and there will be SimbaxSora STUFFZ in here, if ya noe what i meanz. XD REVIEW.


	2. Chapter 2

**Simba's Curiosity**

"So…you're a hu-ew-man?" Sora smiled warmly as Simba, still trying not to stare at his mostly-exposed body. It was a bit distracting, to say the least, that Simba was so good-looking as a human. Not that Sora was attracted to him or anything like that. It was just…well, he could recognize a nice body when he saw one. All those years spent with Riku had taught him how. Luckily, though, Goofy had found him an extra sheet to hide some of his nakedness.

"Human, Simba. Human." Simba frowned, a slight crease forming between his eyebrows. He stared at his hands, big long-fingered, masculine hands that must have surpassed Sora's in size by at least an inch in every direction. Paws, really. Sora bit his lip so as not to burst out laughing.

"And I'm a hu…h-human now too?" Sora nodded as Simba's keen eyes carefully weighed his expression. He had learned that the lion king seemed to judge people (well, lions, up until this point) heavily on the things he saw in their faces. He was also very good at telling when someone lied to him, though he didn't always call them out on it. It was one of the things Sora liked about him.

"Isn't there a way for me to go back?" Sora frowned and bit his lip.

"Well, there is…but-"

"But?"

"Well, people will freak out if they see a lion walking down the street. You could get hurt. It's a lot easier if you stay like this for now." Simba sighed, but nodded.

"You're right, but…this is so weird." Sora wrinkled his nose good-naturedly, picking at a slightly loose piece of gummi on the floor of the ship where they were sitting.

"I know what you mean. I know it's weird making the transition for me, and I was born human. I can only imagine how odd this all must seem for you." Simba leaned back to stare at the ceiling, frown still in place.

"It is. I mean…it's not just senses. Duller vision, fine. Virtually no sense of smell, disconcerting, but okay. Hearing isn't all that bad, either. But the whole walk-on-two-legs thing…it's just nuts." Sora nodded sympathetically.

"We're almost there!" Donald announced, making the other passengers jump slightly. It'd been rather quiet in the gummi ship since Simba's exclamation, and to have the silence broken made them all a bit antsy. Sora glanced at Simba as he stood up, biting his lip.

"We'll have to get you some clothes once we reach the island. You can't exactly walk around naked." Simba's frown deepened.

"Why?" Sora blinked a few times, face slightly pink.

"Uh…because people will freak out."

"How come? Don't humans ever take their 'clothes' off?" Sora laughed nervously, not quite meeting Simba's eyes.

"Yeah, but not in front of other people. It makes them uncomfortable." Simba rolled his eyes as the gummi ship started to descend. After a few long, tense minutes of silence and scrambling to find a handhold, the ship leveled out again and touched down with a loud _bu-duh-ump_.

"Will you two be alright to make it back to your house, Sora?" Sora nodded at Goofy as he helped Simba to his feet. Standing at his full height, the redhead must have been at least six foot, easily dwarfing Sora by six inches. Not to mention the twenty pound weight difference. Still, Sora managed to help him up while Simba leaned on him slightly, trying to get the hang of walking upright.

Sora managed to help Simba out of the ship and onto the fine sand of the beach without falling over from the extra weight. The pair turned and waved as the gummi ship took off again, heading out of sight into the dark sky. Then Sora began the long and laborious process of getting Simba to Kairi's house, which was closest. Luckily, it was very early in the morning and no souls seemed to brave the streets. One oddball jogger gave them very incredulous looks, but Sora just smiled and waved at the woman until she turned away from them, speeding up noticeably. Simba appeared to be getting the hang of walking, and by the time Kairi's house was in sight, he only needed the slightest of help from Sora.

The two of them stopped in front of Kairi's front door as Sora debated over what to tell her. What in the world would he say, "Hi, this is Simba, he's really a four-hundred pound lion and we need a pair of pants for him?" Yeah, that wouldn't blow over so well. Deciding to just wing it, he raised his hand and pounded on the door. A crash was heard from inside, followed by a loud thump and what sounded like a curse. Then footsteps padding down the hallway, a chain lock being undone, and the door opened. Kairi stared at Sora sleepily, hair mussed and in her pajamas. Then she looked over Simba, her eyes widening. Simba at least had the guts to smile, while Sora just stood there with the inner brainwaves of a jellyfish. Kairi frowned at him, and he mentally braced himself for the barrage to come. What came instead was:

"Sora, how many times have I told you that if you're going to bring sexy naked men to my house, you at least give me some forewarning? Sheesh, I didn't even have time to brush my hair." Sora gaped at her, but Simba's shaking jerked him out of his stupidity.

"Simba, are you-" Simba waved a hand at him, a derisive snort making Sora blink.

"Oh, I like her, Sora, she's funny." Kairi smiled widely, and all Sora could do was roll his eyes. Oh, this was going to be _so_ interesting.

~-~-~-~

"So, let me get this straight: You're a lion." Simba nodded, Kairi frowned, and Sora watched anxiously.

"And a stray spell…made you like this?" She gestured at his body, and Simba nodded again. Kairi chewed her lip as the silence drew out. Sora was about to bust a gut from the tension this was causing him, until Kairi clapped her hands and smiled.

"Well, I don't see a problem with that! Just so long as my parents don't find out!" Sora sighed and fell back on the couch in relief. One problem down, one very naked problem to go.

"Kairi, do you have an extra pair of clothes or something…?" She nodded and skipped up the stairs, leaving the two boys alone. Outside, the dawn was just beginning to break over the horizon, and Sora gazed out the window as a state of lethargy settled over him. Could he even remember the last time he'd slept? Psht, no. He yawned loudly as Simba took a seat next to him, clutching at the sheet around his waist nervously.

"Hey, Sora?" Sora raised an eyebrow at the anxious tone in Simba's voice. It wasn't often one heard that sort of tone in his voice.

"Yeah?" Simba frowned, then looked Sora dead in the eye, face completely serious.

"Is Kairi your mate?" Sora choked on the air in his lungs, coughing and spluttering. He beat himself in the chest until the coughing fit passed, and he blinked away the tears of pain in his eyes.

"Holy crap, no! That's like, really disgusting," Sora rasped. Simba blinked, then laughed.

"How is it disgusting? She's female." Sora blushed, rubbing his throat absently. No way was he going to tell Simba, this noble, beautiful beast, that he didn't exactly swing that way. Or that he thought Simba was totally sex on legs. So he pulled up his most well-worn excuse concerning his best friend.

"I've known her practically since we were born. I was there the first time she picked her nose and when she first ate a worm. And there was that time she danced down the street naked and covered in mud, I won't ever forget that. So like…I just know too much about her to really like her that way." Simba nodded, a small smile on his face. Kairi chose that moment to stroll down the stairs, a pair of gigantic jeans and a big t-shirt slung over her arm and a slight frown on her face. Sora noted that her hair was combed this time and her face looked slightly damp, which made him smirk behind his hand.

"These are all I could find for now…I hope they fit." Simba stood, only the tiniest bit uncertain in the knees, and accepted the clothes from Kairi, examining them curiously.

"Um…how do I…er…?" Kairi snickered and pointed at Sora.

"He'll help you out. I'll go make breakfast." And with that, Kairi flounced out of the living room and into the kitchen. Sora made a face behind her back, which made Simba smile.

"Are you two always like this?" Sora nodded happily while directing Simba to put his arms in the air _without_ dropping the sheet from around his waist. It was tricky business, but soon they had the t-shirt over Simba's head and his arms in the right holes without too much fuss. Luckily, the shirt was huge and fell well past the lion's hips. No extreme expose was good.

"You guys remind me of Nala and I when we were growing up. She always beat me at everything, though." Sora smiled, although the mention of Nala made him want to grimace. He didn't have anything against the lioness, she was just so…well, he didn't even know what to call it. She was so feminine and yet assertive. She could obviously push Simba around, but she chose not to. It was weird, and went against everything Sora knew about girls.

"Yeah, Kairi's a handful. Now sit down and put your legs through- not both in the same hole!" Simba laughed while Sora tried to help him get the pants on properly. After a bunch of arguing over the fact that yes, there is a hole for each leg, Sora had gotten the pants on up to Simba's knees and Simba managed to pull them the rest of the way up without falling over. Sora showed him how the zipper and button worked, and then Simba had pants and Sora's hands were far away from Simba's crotch. Hallelujah.

"Breakfast!" Kairi called. Both boys sighed and filed into the kitchen. Hopefully, Kairi had made something edible.

**AN:** Tada! Second chappie. This is like, miracle speed for me, but I really like this story. It's sort of hard to write though, because usually I have every singel conversation and action planned before I write it, and I didn't do that this time. The flow gets all messed up as a result. Anyways, next time there will hopefully be some fun conversations with Kairi /wink wink, nudge nudge/. REVIEW OR SCAR WILL STEAL YOUR SOUL!!!


	3. Chapter 3

**Simba's Curiosity**

"Kaaairiiiii…" Said redhead frowned over her shoulder at Sora, who was slumped over her parent's breakfast nook with the look of a kicked puppy on his face, big blue eyes begging for food. Simba was slumped in a similar position, amber eyes roving the kitchen with a childlike wonder and unceasing curiosity. Instead of being cross, as she was prone to be this early in the morning, she laughed and waved at them with her wooden spoon, splattering the table with tomato sauce by accident. Simba sniffed at it curiously as she turned back to the stove.

"Gimme a minute. You can't hound down a girl's back while she's trying to cook." She could hear the frown in Sora's voice when he replied,

"Cooking does not include heating the contents of a can, Kai. We both know you'd never survive a week without a can opener or takeout." She huffed angrily and glared over her shoulder.

"Don't start with me, mister. Not when I have direct control of the food flow over here. You'd think you didn't want breakfast, the way you're complaining." There was the thump of a bony elbow on the wooden table, and she heard the rustle of clothes and spiky hair as Sora lifted himself off of the table into a sitting position.

"Spaghetti-O's out of the can does not a breakfast make," Sora muttered. Kairi snorted and gave him a derogatory look.

"And a bewitched lion does not a boyfriend make," she mouthed, watching with satisfaction as his face colored faintly pink. He glanced at Simba, who looked vaguely confused and exhausted, then slit a finger across his throat. She grinned, pressing a finger to her lips as a gesture of her silence. Both turned back to their tasks, and Simba was left in the dark. Until…

"I'm feeling left out. What was all that a second ago?" Sora smiled nervously at Simba.

"Nothing. Kairi's just being a **ditz**." Sora spat the word out with a venom that made her smile cheerily as she turned with bowls in hand.

"Shut it and eat, you sugar monkey." She set a bowl in front of each of them, and Sora began to eat with gusto. After a moment of watching, Simba picked up his fork and took a bite. Both teens paused while he made an odd face, like he couldn't decide whether he wanted to spit it out or not. Finally he swallowed and took another bite.

"Well?" Kairi asked anxiously. Sora's eyes widened and he shook his head vigorously behind her back. Simba shrugged.

"It's okay." Kairi slumped in defeat while Sora beamed and continued to devour his 'breakfast.' Only when the sound of forks scraping the bottom of bowls was heard did the conversation start again.

"Well, we should get some shut eye. You guys are obviously pooped, so I'll go set up the futon or something." She stood and stretched, a sliver of stomach exposed. Simba glanced at Sora, who stuck his Spaghetti-O covered tongue out at him. Both dissolved into giggles, which had Kairi raising an eyebrow. Sora looked up and asked thoughtfully,

"By the way, where are your parents at?" Kairi smirked and said,

"They are on vacation, 'reawakening their feelings for each other.' As if. Mom wanted to see some mountains for once and Dad wants to try skiing. So they decided to leave for two weeks and let me to hold down the fort. Which means I _will_ be having a totally unsupervised party sometime soon." Sora grinned wickedly and Simba looked confused. That was sort of becoming a constant, Kairi thought. Maybe his face was stuck like that. Sora yawned, which brought her attention to the sleeping situation.

"Simba, come help me out." He stood and followed her into the living room, where she threw off the pillows and yanked on the metal frame until it began to straighten out, Simba tugging along with her. Once that was done she tossed the pillows back onto it and pulled a blanket off the armchair. With the futon made up, she turned to Simba with the gleam of gossip in her eyes.

"You have a crush on him." It was supposed to be a question, but she made it sound like she was so certain. Simba smiled.

"Is it really so obvious?" Kairi nodded, a grin on her face. Her hands came up in front of her chest, clasping together as she leaned forward.

"Are you going to tell him? When are you gonna make a move?" Simba's smile fell slightly.

"Not going to and not going to. Ever." Kairi pouted and planted her fists on her hips.

"Why? You two would be great together." A brief, dreamy smile lit Simba's face, and in it Kairi saw long-standing fantasies bloom to life. Looks like this crush is a little more intense than I thought, she mused. But then Simba shook his head and looked out the window, his eyes hard and set.

"I have a mate back in the Pride Lands. I couldn't just…" He sighed and shook his head again. Kairi made a soft sound of sympathy and laid a hand on his arm.

"I get it. You don't want to betray your mate and you don't want to hurt Sora. But on the other hand, you have to deal with this crush on your friend." He nodded and smiled at her sleepily, cocking his head to the side.

"You're really very nice. I understand why Sora went through all that trouble to get you back." She smiled back, then ruffled his hair and pushed him down on the futon. He laughed, flinging a pillow into her face. She threw it back with a giggle and fled before he could hit her again.

In the kitchen, Sora was rinsing the dishes. Or rather, he was letting the water run over the dishes while he leaned against the sink, watching the water flow in the kind of exhausted open-mouthed stupor that made her sigh. She shut the water off and grabbed his hand, slinging his arm over her shoulder. Sora groaned and followed her as she half lead, half dragged him out into the living room. Simba had already burrowed himself under the blanket, and as they watched, pulled his borrowed pants from out under the blanket and set them on the edge of the bed. Sora spluttered with laughter and said,

"I am _so_ not helping you put those back on. You gotta do it yourself, buddy." Simba smiled and stuck out his tongue at Sora, then pulled the blanket over his head and settled down. Kairi shook her head, an amused smile on her face, and started pulling Sora up the stairs with her. As they reached the landing she paused. They both heard it then; a soft rumbling noise coming from downstairs, a sound that was sort of akin to purring. Sora laughed and called down the stairs,

"Night, Simba!"

"Night, Sora," came the gruff, sleepy reply. Kairi continued hauling Sora up to her room, finally pushing him down on her big bed with a soft "oof!" She watched with a dull fascination as he kicked off his shoes and then proceeded to peel off the approxamate eight pounds of jewelry and other detachable pieces of his outfit, flinging them all on the floor carelessly. Once he was done, he pulled the extra blanket up from the end of the bed and flung it over himself, turning over onto his stomach to hug a pillow to himself. Kairi sat down on the bed, pulling her blanket over her legs and settling with her back against the wall. Then she proceeded to do the same thing she had done not minutes ago to Simba; interrogate. Luckily for her, she knew how to crack through Sora's sometimes surprisingly shy shell like an expert safe robber.

"So. You and Simba seem rather chummy." He made a sound like a discontented bulldog, or so Kairi would have described it.

"Do you like him?" she queried. He made the noise again, louder this time, scowled, and turned his head to face the wall. She poked him between the shoulder blades hard enough to make him whine.

"Come on, Sora. You can tell me." He turned to face her again, his blue eyes sparkling with anger this time.

"That's what you said about Riku, and look where that landed me." She drew back her hand from where it lay near him on the bed, chewing her lip.

"I said I was sorry." Sora's anger seemed to deflate as he sighed and ran a hand through his spikes, flattening them for a moment only for them to spring back up, swaying. He never seemed to be able to stay angry at Kairi, a fact that made her a little selfish sometimes.

"I know. But…I mean, come on, Kai. Now he won't even look at me, let alone return my calls. I think that earns me the right to keep things from you, at least for a while." A grin slowly crept across her face that made Sora blanch.

"So you want to keep me from knowing about the fact that you _do_ like Simba?" Sora turned onto his back, throwing his hands into the air.

"Yes, alright! I kinda have a crush on him! But he has a mate. So don't _even_ try meddling. Just please, leave it, Kairi. Please." Baby blues pleaded for her compliance, and her scheming faltered for a moment. Hm, to play the true best friend and let the two of them figure it out for themselves, which might never happen, or to disobey Sora and meddle, possibly landing her best friend with a lover (and come on, he so desperately needed someone to love him, poor thing) or possibly driving away what was obviously a good friend. Oh, what to do, what to do…She sighed dramatically and said,

"Oh, alright. I will not mess with your relationship with Simba." He smiled gratefully, and for a moment a pang of guilt shot through Kairi's heart. While she was being honest when she said she wouldn't mess with their relationship, she wasn't being _totally_ honest. She still planned to sort of subtly push them towards each other so that maybe something developed with only the slightest coercion from her.

Silence reigned for a few long minutes, and then Sora asked softly,

"So how is he doing?" Kairi stared at the ceiling, trying to forget her guilt.

"He's fine. Angsty, as always. I didn't tell him you were coming back, so you might see him at your house sometime."

"At my house?" She nodded, her head bumping on the wall.

"He's been visiting your mom a lot." Sora bit his lip.

"He didn't tell her…did he?" Kairi was silent for much too long, and Sora groaned.

"Come on, Sora. It's not that bad. So you're gay! Whoop-de-do-dah!" Sora pressed the heels of his hands into his eyes, moaning softly.

"This sucks. That bastard. I wish I'd never liked him." Sora paused, as if a thought had struck him, and then lifted his hands to look at her.

"You did tell him I don't like him anymore, right?" Kairi pointedly started to examine her nails, and Sora punched her in the thigh. She screeched in indignation, rubbing the sore spot.

"Kairi! How could you not tell him that?! No wonder he's been avoiding me for so long!" Kairi had enough conscious to look sheepish.

"I thought…you know, if he decided that maybe-" Sora thumped her in the side with a pillow.

"I know exactly what you thought, you…you!" Kairi raised her chin in defiance, a smirk on her lips.

"Go on, Sora. Say it. I'm a what?" Sora flushed, punched the bed, and threw himself down onto it, his back facing Kairi. She snickered and wrapped an arm around his waist, giving him a brief hug.

"I love you, Sora." Sora grunted, and then they both laid down to sleep.

~-~-~-~

Sometime during the day, Kairi felt the bed move and looked up to see Sora crawling out of bed.

"Sora?" Her friend didn't answer, stumbling across the floor and into the hall. Figuring he just had to pee, she flopped back down and went back to sleep.

However, Sora did not go to the bathroom. Instead he lumbered down the stairs, going into the living room. He sat on the edge of the futon, where a mass huddled underneath the blanket. Apprehensively, he laid a hand on it. Simba pulled the blanket down to look at Sora with mock-sleepiness.

"Sora?" Sora rubbed his eyes and repositioned himself to sit cross-legged on the blanket.

"You okay, Simba?" Simba sat up and looked at him curiously.

"Why?" Sora shrugged, tugging at the fabric over his heart with his fingers. Simba regarded him quietly for a moment, then sighed and flopped back down.

"I had a nightmare, about my father." Sora laid down next to him and frowned, blue eyes sleepy.

"I'll stay down here, if you want. Just as long as you put your pants on." Simba snickered and grabbed his borrowed jeans, pulling them on under the blanket. Then Sora flung the blanket over himself and nestled down into the futon mattress. Soon he was asleep, and Simba watched the soft fluttering of his eyes underneath his lids, the steady rise and fall of his chest. The nightmare was quickly forgotten, and he dared to trace the line of Sora's cheek before falling into a heavy sleep.

**AN: **This chapter is slightly longer than the other two, but it's not too long. I hope. I love how Kairi torments Sora, and Simba's a sweetheart. 3


	4. Chapter 4

**Simba's Curiosity**

"I swear to God, I have never seen anything so absolutely adorable." Sora rolled his eyes at this statement, his cheeks stained red. Kairi was browsing through a rack of clothing, occasionally picking out a piece to inspect more closely. Annoyed, Sora took a swig of Mountain Dew and leaned against his best friend.

"Kairi, you are the most annoying thing I have ever met." She smiled brightly at him and hugged his shoulders.

"I know, but you love me anyways." Sora sighed, shoving his hand in his pocket.

"That may be, but I can't help but ask again why you took those pictures and POSTED THEM ON THE INTERNET." Kairi stepped away from him to look at an orange top, her eyebrows rising as his voice rose in both pitch and volume. She looked up at him to see his eyes wide and his spine stiff, breathing heavily through his nose. Sighing, she set down the shirt (which she couldn't ever wear anyway because of her hair) and stepped in front of Sora, looking him in the eye.

"I told you before- Riku has been checking your Myspace obsessively. Once he logs on and sees the pictures of you and Simba being all cozy, he'll have no choice but to talk to you in some way. He'll want to know about your new boy toy." Sora's eyes got impossibly wider and his blush spread to include his neck and ears.

"He is not my-"

"Whatever. I'm gonna go see if he's okay," she interrupted, turning abruptly and wandering back to the fitting rooms. Sora grumbled under his breath and followed her.

"Simba, you alright in there?" Kairi asked, rapping on the dressing room door. There was a muffled bang and curse, and then the door opened and Simba peeked out.

"I'm done, but I'm not sure if I have everything on right, so don't laugh." Sora approached just as Simba walked out.

His wild red hair had been tamed after a rather long and laborious time in the bathroom with Kairi. The lion king seemed to have developed a deep and profound hatred for any and all combs and brushes. The blow-dryer had actually scared him to the point where he had climbed up on top of Kairi's refrigerator and sat there, hissing and dripping wet, for fifteen minutes. It'd been one of the most amusing things Sora had seen a long while, and thank God Kairi had taken pictures.

His hair was now a bit shorter and straighter, and his bangs hung over his eyes in the most sultry way. Simba blew it out of the way impatiently and fidgeted as Sora stared. He was wearing a form-fitting dark blue shirt with sleeves that reached his elbows and a hood, along with a pair of loose skater-esque black jeans and thin black boots. Around his neck hung a leather cord with a wooden medallion picturing a lion's paw print, something he had pointed out jokingly but had taken a liking to when Kairi had purchased it. Simba fiddled with it, then sighed.

"Sora, will you quit staring and say something?" he huffed, and Sora blinked rapidly to try and pull himself away from the sight of Simba dressed well. Very well. He took a hurried swig of Mountain Dew in the hopes that it would cool his heated face, though it didn't work.

"You're shoes are untied." Wait. Had he really just said that? Sora felt like smacking himself in the head when he felt something softly nudge the back of his knee, and he unthinkingly knelt on the floor in front of Simba and started to tie his shoes. When he was done, he looked up and smiled. Simba's face was nearly as red as his hair, and he cleared his throat before helping Sora up. Then they both looked around to see Kairi burying her face in her pile of to-be-purchased clothes, eyes streaming and her face red from restraining her laughter. Both boys merrily kicked her in the shins, but she retaliated by hitting them with stray hangers. They decided to do a tag-team tickle torture, and when all three of them were shrieking with laughter, the crotchety old lady manning the fitting rooms told them to keep it down or she would call security. So they left to pay for their merchandise, all the while trying to explain the concept of why the items in the store needed security.

"What now, boys?" Kairi asked, her bag thumping against her leg as she finished ripping out the last of the tags on Simba's clothing, dumping the little pieces of paper and plastic in the trash can. Sora brightened.

"Ever been to the beach, Simba?" Simba shook his head, smiling, and Sora grinned outright and grabbed his friends' hands, towing them along down the path to the nearest beach. Once he got them started, he turned and started to walk backwards, his hands cupping the back of his head. Kairi rolled her eyes at this familiar behavior and dug out her iPhone, turning it up as loud as it would go while she picked a song. Simba couldn't wipe the smile off of his face; Sora seemed to have forgotten that they'd been on the beach when the gummi ship dropped them off. He couldn't correct him though, since Sora seemed so excited. Plus, it wouldn't hurt to get to see it in the daylight.

A pulsing, disco-like beat filled the air as Kairi swayed, dancing to the beat. Simba looked to Sora, confused as always, but he just shrugged.

"_S.O.S. she's in disguise, S.O.S. she's in disguise, there's a she wolf in disguise, coming out, coming out, coming out!" _the soft voice rang out along the path while Kairi handed her bag and phone to Sora, then grabbed Simba's hands and pulled him along with her while she danced. He simply laughed and went along with it.

"_I've been devoting myself to you Monday to Monday and Friday to Friday, not getting enough retribution or decent incentives to keep me at it. I'm starting to feel just a little abused like a coffee machine in an office, so I'm gonna go somewhere cozy to get me a lover and tell you all about it." _Simba really couldn't dance, but that was understandable. He tripped over his feet a few times, but seemed to be getting a better grip on his balance by the minute. Soon he was dancing as well as any straight male can, which was still basically terrible compared to Kairi, but at least he was enjoying himself. He twirled Kairi, who giggled, and grinned at Sora. Sora grinned back, but he was just a bit uneasy. Things seemed to be growing too fast between them, and the way he was just…comfortable with it unsettled him.

"_Theres a she wolf in the closet, open up and set it free (auuuu), there's a she wolf in the closet, let it out so it can breathe. Sitting across a bar staring right at her prey, its going well so far she's gonna get her way. Nocturnal creatures are not so prudent, the moon's my teacher and I'm her student. To locate the single men I got on me a special radar, and the fire department hotline in case I get in trouble later. Not looking for cute little divos or rich city guys I just want to enjoy by having a very good time and behave very bad in the arms of a boy." _Simba continued dancing with Kairi, though the expression on his face grew more serious as the song progressed. He glanced at Sora as he danced, and the look in his eyes nearly took Sora's breath away. Without even really thinking about it, Sora turned around and began to walk a little faster. The music faded away as the distance grew between them, and then Kairi called out. He paused for half a second, then sighed and stopped. Kairi caught up to him, glaring at him.

"What the hell is your problem all of a sudden?" she hissed, and Sora pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

"I don't want to talk about it right now." Sora threw a glance back at Simba, who was taking long strides to catch up. Kairi's eyes lit up and she too glanced at the redhead, then back at Sora. He frowned and shook his head, just slightly. Both turned away from their silent conversation, angry. The mood was broken, however, when Simba caught up with them.

"Wow." From the top of the hill where they were standing, they could see the smooth white sand stretch until it was cut off from view by the palm trees, swaying in the slight wind. The pristine blue water rolled gently onto the shore, and the cry of gulls could be heard somewhere close. Simba stared in awe.

"It just…goes on forever," he muttered, staring at the ocean. Sora realized he had probably never seen a body of water this big. He debated with himself for a minute, but really, he couldn't help himself- he grabbed Simba's hand and smiled, towing him down towards the sand with Kairi right behind him.

The first thing Simba did was rip off his shoes and bury his bare feet in the sand, laughing loudly. Sora and Kairi laughed too, taking off their own shoes. Kairi dumped her new clothes in a safe spot under a palm tree, then took the plastic bag and filled it with water. While Simba was struggling to take off his new shirt, she took the full bag and stood on her tip toes behind him, upending the bag of seawater onto his head. He shrieked and flailed as the cold water hit him, then threw his shirt down and tackled her, sending them both sprawling into the surf. Sora was screaming with laughter as Kairi screamed and wrestled with Simba in the water, but he won. He slung her over his shoulder easily, despite the fact that she was screaming and cursing him and his mother. When she said that, he dumped her in the sand and smiled at Sora, pushing his hair out of his eyes as he plopped down in the sand next to him.

Kairi spat out sand and sat on Sora's other side, and the three of them sat there for a while, staring at the sun, which was beginning to set. Suddenly Simba pushed himself to his feet and looked down at Sora nervously.

"Hey, can we talk for a second?" he asked, and Sora pushed himself to his feet and followed as Simba led him down the beach and up towards the trees. Soon they were hidden by the trees and Kairi was no longer visible. The tall palms created a darkness that suggested private and seriousness, and Sora felt anxious.

Sighing, Simba leaned against a tree trunk, his wet hair hanging in his eyes. He stared at the ground, seemingly searching the sand for the words he wanted to say. He looked up and met Sora's eyes. Sora felt an odd sensation, almost like vertigo.

"I don't really…uh…geez." Simba covered his eyes with his hands, but then a strong wind stirred, small blue leaves swirling in the breeze. Simba inhaled sharply, his eyes looking up to the sky where the first few stars were beginning to shine. He scowled up at the constellations, his hands on his hips. Sora stared, bewildered, as he began to mutter to himself.

"Are you sure? I mean, really, I already…well, everything at home…and the, er…" Simba looked at him, then swiftly looked back up to address the sky again. When he opened his mouth, though, the breeze suddenly kicked up, nearly howling with its sudden force. Simba stumbled forward into Sora, grabbing him by the shoulders to steady them. The wind died just as suddenly as it had come, small dandelion puffs floating around them. No matter how much his mind screamed that he should pull away, Sora couldn't help but love the strength of those hands around his shoulders, and the way Simba's eyes nearly glowed in the dark sent butterflies fluttering through his whole body. One of Simba's hands left his shoulder to brush Sora's hair from his face. He felt blood flow to his face in a rush that made him feel lightheaded, and it took him a moment to realize that Simba had taken a step forward, his body dizzyingly close to Sora's. Sora swallowed dryly, and then Simba smiled a small, pained smile. That smile…it just ripped Sora up. He wanted, childishly, to hit Simba so it would go away. His free hand slipped down Sora's arm, leaving goose bumps in its wake, and took Sora's hand in his, squeezing it reassuringly before he stepped away. Sora was left standing alone under the shade of a tree, feeling at once both relieved and abandoned. Sighing, he closed his eyes. There was only one person he could really talk to about this entire mass of confusion.

He needed to talk to his mom.

**AN:** Hello again! Sorry this took so long, but I wasn't happy with it. My unofficial beta, Miss Tantomile, said it was okay...so here it is. More fluff coming next chapter, I swear!


	5. Chapter 5

**Simba's Curiosity**

Sora stood next to his mailbox as he stared at his childhood home.

It had changed a lot externally since his mother had bought it in the late eighties. Two stories of rambling wooden slats and big, curvy windows had once been a small, shack-like bungalow. She had bought it as a studio to paint in, but had loved it so much that she'd turned it into a four room house for herself. When she had started dating Sora's father, he had built the ramshackle enclosed porch in the front, and had laid the ground work for the beautiful cobblestone patio in the back. But when he had learned of Sora's imminent arrival…the guy had split. The most contact he'd had with his dad was a cheesy birthday card and a check every year. And no matter how much Sora's mother worried about him, that was all the male role model he needed in his life.

The second story had been added shortly before Sora's birth by Tidus's dad, who was trying to become a general contractor at the time. He hadn't been very good appearance wise but Sora's bedroom had never collapsed, despite the wild storms they sometimes got, so it was good enough.

Now Sora's mom was a wedding planner for young couples that wanted the perfect island wedding, and she rarely got to paint anymore. Sora was fairly sure that her art supplies were still up in the storage space above the tiny laundry room, but they hadn't been used since Sora was little. Sometimes he felt like he should encourage her to paint more, but whenever he tried, the words got caught in his throat.

So, there he was. Stuck in front of the gate, staring at the house and it's short path that was lined with wilting pink flowers that his mother had spent ages planting. His mother had done so much for him, and yet he felt like walking down that path would be the same as walking to a guillotine. Well…he'd certainly walked towards worse. Steeling himself, he opened the gate, being careful to shut it behind him, and marched to the front door. He was in the midst of digging his keys out of his pocket when the door opened, and he was face to face with the last thing he wanted to see just then.

"…Hey Sora," Riku muttered, stepping out of the way. Sora moved inside, staring at his friend warily. For a moment, the only sound was the echo from the door closing, and then Riku sighed heavily, frowning at Sora.

"Well? Are you going to say anything to explain yourself or are you just going to stand there?" Sora scowled and lifted his chin. Riku could be a major asshole, he thought suddenly. It made him wonder what he'd ever seen in him.

"I don't have to explain anything to the likes of _you_, " he said, the scathing tone in his voice making Riku wince. He pulled his hands out of his pockets to shove silver hair out of his eyes, his face suddenly pleading.

"Sora, just because I…well…that doesn't mean you have to go slumming around with some guy!" the older boy hissed through his teeth while Sora flushed, turning to face the empty hall as he crossed his arms over his chest.

"I am not _slumming around_. Simba is a very good friend of mine, and Kairi has a tendency to stick her nose where she shouldn't." Riku nodded idly, eyebrows furrowed.

"So…are you and 'Simba'…um…?" Riku let the question hang awkwardly in the air as he stared at Sora with piercing aqua eyes. Oh, yeah, it was that that made me like him, Sora thought. Those eyes pinned him in place, igniting…something inside him. It wasn't lust or love; those had passed when he realized how ill-suited Riku was for someone like him. It was maybe something like nostalgia, a ghost-like semblance of something he'd once felt. Shaking his head, he broke out of his thoughts to answer the question.

"No, we're not." Riku let out a breath, almost like a sigh of relief, and Sora frowned. He opened his mouth, but then…

"Sora!" …his mother appeared from around the corner, instantly closing the space between her and her baby boy. Sora hugged her obligingly for a moment, then pulled away with a nervous smile.

"Hi mom. Sorry I didn't come here earlier, I just-" She waved a delicate hand at him before planting a kiss on his cheek, then smiling.

"Come on, dinner's almost done. Are you sure you won't stay, Riku?" she asked, turning towards the taller boy. He smiled slightly and shook his head.

"Nah, my mom will kill me if I'm out any later. I told her I'd be home early tonight. See ya later, Sora." With one last pointed look, Riku turned and walked out, a certain swagger in his steps that made Sora frown again. What the hell was up with him lately?

"God, Sora, I swear, I should put you on a leash." Sora turned to his mother, his frown deepening. She had her hands poised on her hips, her frown mirroring her son's.

"Riku showed me those pictures. Are you-"

"No I am not sleeping with him, mother! Jesus Christ, why does everyone think that?!" There was a long moment of silence, and then his mother laughed. It was a happy, relieved sort of sound that infected you with the same feeling, and Sora couldn't help but laugh along. Then she hugged him again, this time nearly crushing his ribs. She pulled away, eyes shining and a carefree smile on her face.

"I love you, kiddo. And just so you know, I don't really care that much if you slept with him. Just as long as you bring him home to meet me and wear protection!" Sora let out an indignant shriek while she laughed, and then she hauled him into the kitchen to taste her cooking.

His mom wasn't the most excellent cook, but she tried. Especially when Riku came over. As much as he hated to admit it, Sora noticed how, with Kairi, she was likely to come downstairs in sweatpants and a t-shirt with no bra, her hair as crazy as her son's and her face kind of plain and tired. When Riku came over, however, the make-up, cool hair, and low-cut tops came out. She looked so pretty right now, for example. She was wearing a pair of short gunmetal-gray shorts that revealed her thighs, pink flip-flops, and a matching, skin-tight one-piece bathing suit with a very low neckline. Her hair was caught up elegantly in some chopsticks, and her eyes were shaded subtly with silver. Even though it was beyond weird that she had a crush on his best friend (Was he still his best friend? How did you define that relationship anymore? "Ex-crush?"), he liked seeing his mom like this. It was rare that she did anything like dressing up, and she deserved the chance to flirt, even if it was with someone half her age.

The lasagna she had made was burnt into the pan. Literally. He was fairly sure that the metal and pasta at, at some point, melted to a degree that they had somehow fused and created the world's first metal-pasta hybrid. When she couldn't hack it out of the pan, she threw the whole thing in the garbage and took out some leftover Chinese food. They sat at the kitchen table, which was streaked with stains and gouges from times past, and he regaled some of his latest adventure to her. When it came to his feelings regarding Simba, the words came haltingly, quietly, but with a discreetly hid smile that, despite his effort, his mother saw. When he'd finally finished spewing his guts, she just sat back in her chair, studying him. After a long moment she sighed, smiling.

"You should see your face when you talk about him. Your eyes light up like it's Christmas. It's the happiest I've ever seen you look." Sora flushed and sat up straighter. He suddenly felt like his mother's gentle gaze was somehow evaluating him, and he didn't want to mess up. His mother meant the world to him, and if she didn't approve…

"Well, I think you should just go for it, hun. Tell him that you love him, and if he rejects you, it's his loss." He paused for a moment, going over her words.

"I never said I-"

"But you do, Sora. You love Simba." Hearing the words, said out loud like that…he felt it. He realized it'd been there all along, and that he'd simply been ignoring it. When he really thought about it, he realized he was truly in love with Simba. For a second, the thought made him feel warm and happy. Then he remembered his predicament, and he groaned as the feeling came crashing down his around his ears.

"Dammit. Why did I have to pick the guy with the girlfriend?" He asked the ceiling, then yelped when his mother threw a fork at him for cursing. This resulted in the biggest food fight in the history of the Herutsu household, and afterwards they sat on the sagging living room couch, picking bits of rice out of each others hair as they ate chocolate ice cream from the container and watched some old black-and-white movie on TV.

Later that night, after he'd said goodnight to his mother and was climbing the stairs to his bedroom, his cell phone started to vibrate in his pocket. He ducked into his room to answer it so his mother wouldn't get suspicious.

"Hello?"

"SORA? HELLO?" Sora jerked the phone away from his ear, wincing. Once the yelling had paused, he put it back cautiously.

"Simba, you don't have to yell, I can hear you just fine." There was a pause.

"I really don't get how this works." Sora laughed quietly at the helpless tone of his voice, leaning against his bedroom door as he did so.

"So, what did you call me for?" There was a long moment in which Simba attempted to start a sentence about six different times while Sora listened in amused silence. Finally he settled for,

"Can you meet me at the beach? There's something I want to talk to you about _without_ Kairi listening over my shoulder." Sora snickered when he heard Kairi's indignant shout, then the two of them squabbled for a moment before Simba returned to the conversation.

"Well?" Sora glanced at the clock; it was nearly midnight.

"I don't know…I'd have to sneak out." He could practically hear Simba smile, smiling himself in response.

"So, you coming or not?" Sora made sounds of consideration while pulling on his shoes and straightening his hair in the mirror on the back of his door.

"I guess I could make it down there…but if I get caught, I'm blaming you."

"You told your mom about me?" It was Sora's turn to pause awkwardly while he shrugged on a light jacket.

"Um…yeah. Well, sorta. She saw the pictures." Simba groaned in mock-agony, and then he and Kairi bickered some more.

"That sucks. Did she ask if we were…?" The open-ended question made Sora wrinkle his nose.

"Yeah. She tried to tell me to have safe sex." Confused silence met his ear, and he tried not to laugh at Simba's ignorance.

"Anyway, I'll meet you there in a minute. Bye." He hung up, then quietly opened his door. Most of the floorboards creaked, but he knew how to avoid them from many years of sneaking off for late-night adventures with Kairi and Riku. He had made his way past the kitchen and was almost at the front door when he heard shuffling footsteps across the living room rug. Sora cursed mentally, trying to backtrack to the kitchen, but his mother caught him halfway there.

"Sora? What are you doing out here?" She muttered, eyes droopy with fatigue. Her hair stood up in the back and her fraying bathrobe was barely held closed with her hand. She stared at him for a moment, then frowned. His mouth opened several times, searching for an excuse.

"I-I was just gonna…um…meet up with Simba…" Her hard expression softened at that, and she patted her son on the cheek sleepily.

"Wait here a second." Then she turned and walked away. He could hear her go into the bathroom, but didn't comprehend what she was doing until she came back with a couple of foils and a tiny bottle of clear liquid in her hands.

"Mom-!" he hissed, beyond embarrassed. She pressed them into his hands, still smiling that serenely sleepy smile she had whenever she was only half awake.

"Just take 'em. Just in case." He sighed, exasperated, and stuffed them into his pocket. It wouldn't hurt to have them, anyways. He kissed his mother on her cheek and turned her around, watching her shuffle back to her room. Then he turned back to the front door and stepped outside, into the light of the full moon.

**AN**: I know, I promised fluff in this chapter. I lied. It would be _waaay_ too long if I tried to keep going with this, but know that there **will** totally be fluff in the next chapter. And possibly lemons in the chapter after that. So hurray. :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Simba's Curiosity**

The soft stirrings of the ocean lulled Sora into a sort of wakeful sleep. He could feel the warm sand under his back and the light breeze that ruffled his hair, but other than that he was dead to the world. His thoughts drifted slowly with the tide until they settled on Riku.

Riku. He used to be everything. He was lust, love, want, need. He was Sora's everything. Sora chased him across worlds, went through things he'd never even dreamed just to find him. And then he was found, he was home, and the feelings cooled. Now Riku is a friend, trusted, and a different sort of love. Sora doesn't understand this. He doesn't think he'll ever understand it. He tries to recall those feelings. Lust is easy; it comes to him in a picture, a not-quite-real picture from a dream. Riku's pale skin glistens with a sheen of sweat, silver hair beautifully soft and shiny in his fingers. His lips were bitten-red, soft pink seeping through the skin of his cheeks. Aquamarine eyes were a shade darker than normal, hooded with lust. There was a slightly hollow-sounding remembered groan, and then the picture faded. The dream ended there, if he remembered correctly. Ended with him covered in sticky white, and now there was nothing. His body doesn't even want the picture he remembered, let alone want completion from it. Maybe it's because that wasn't really Riku, just his imagination, but it still doesn't. He sighed softly, unconsciously, as his thoughts wandered again.

They came to rest on a redhead. Bottom lip clamped between his teeth, and have his canines always been just a tiny bit pointed like that? Either way, he watched as Simba's brows knit together, then his eyes clench shut as he makes a deep, wild noise in the back of his throat. When his eyes opened again, they blazed bright amber, the black nearly swallowing that beautiful, shining color. Why has he never noticed that Simba's eyes are so beautiful? A hand came into his view, and he traced the slim fingers and the wide palm as it reached forward to cup his face. Suddenly Simba's face leaned closer too, and his tongue is rough against Sora's cheek when he licked him. A shudder of warmth curled down his spine, swirling in the pit of his stomach before slipping lower. He shifted restlessly in the sand as the warmth turns into heat, expanding and tingling through his body while Simba touched him-

A warm, soft thing settled over his eyes, and Sora jerked awake with a yelp. There's a deep laugh just behind him as the hand drew away, and he's met with the sight of Simba, the real Simba, face flushed and smiling as wet hair clings to his cheeks and neck. Sora swallowed, staring with wide eyes. It's better than the dream, because Simba was right there. Only a few inches away, just waiting to be loved like Sora can love him. His throat constricted because despite all his bravery and light, he's not brave enough to close those inches. It'd be wrong, so he can't bring himself to do it. He forced a smile, which he was good at- most of the smiles he gave were fake. Only people that know him, people like Kairi and Riku and his mom, can find the fakes among the genuine ones. However, Simba's eyebrows dip together, and the laughing smile fell from his lips. A lock of hair peeled from his face, brushing Sora's lips when it fell.

"Something wrong?" Sora shook his head as the fake melts into a genuine, and then Simba smiled softly. His eyes are pensive as he stared at what seems to be Sora's ear, and then haltingly, words rolled past his lips.

"I…I wanted to show you something. I think you'd like it…and I…um…" Sora saw the reluctance with which Simba is trying to say something, and let him off the hook with a smile. Simba smiled back, then sat back so Sora could roll to his feet.

Simba was dripping, boots and shirt gone as his black pants clings to his legs. Sora tried not to stare…directly, at least, at the wet skin and muscles presented so nicely to his eyes. Sand clings to his skin in some places, and Sora noticed that the medallion dangled against his bare collarbone. It looks nice like that, and then Simba was grabbing the hem of Sora's shirt and yanking it up.

"What the-?!" Simba snickered and tugged until the shirt slipped over his head, revealing Sora's torso to the moonlight. Then Simba bent down, and for one terrible second Sora's thoughts plunged into the very, very dirty places in his mind. His face was red when Simba started to untie his shoe. Frustration puckered his brow as he pulled Sora's foot into his lap. His fingers struggled with the knots. Finally he simply pulled the shoe off of Sora's foot, then the other followed it. He shoved the discarded clothes into a pile, then grabbed Sora's hand and started to pull him to the water. Sora blinked rapidly before he could finally word the question right.

"What're you doing? That water's really cold!" Sora squealed as the cold water splashed around his calves, and Simba was still dragging him in further, that smile on his face.

"We have to swim to it. You can hold your breath, right?" Sora nodded, confused, and then Simba grabbed him by the shoulders and pushed him. He fell face first into a wave, popped back up spluttering and cursing Simba at the top of his lungs. Simba just laughed and dove in after him, teeth chattering when he surfaced. He grabbed Sora's hand again, fingers laced tightly between his own. It felt good to have that strong hand in his, leading him through the water. They're both good swimmers, and they cut through the water quickly. Soon they were next to a large outcropping of rock. Simba paused and let go of Sora's hand so he could point down.

"Just follow me, okay?" Sora nodded, and then Simba gulped down a breath and dove. Sora followed.

Under the waves, the water was clear, clear blue, the sandy bottom stuck in twilight and the moonlight glistening on the waves above their heads. Sora followed Simba as he headed towards the bottom, and when he could brush the bottom with his toes, he saw a hole in the base of the rock. Simba pulled himself inside, then beckoned for Sora to hurry. He followed, though his stomach twisted with trepidation.

The inside of the rock was hollow, and the water only reached as high as the water outside; there's a pocket of air stuck at the top, where Sora and Simba burst to the surface. It's surprisingly light; Sora looked up and gasped when he saw that the ceiling was covered in sparkling luminescence. Simba grinned widely.

"Told you. It's really cool, right?" Sora tried to nod, but swallowed a mouth full of seawater instead. He spit it in Simba's face, then pushed away and scrambled onto a small rock ledge, just above the level of the water. Simba joined him, though much more gracefully, and Sora found that the ledge was just big enough for the two of them to sit side by side, shoulders brushing. Simba's body seemed to radiate warmth like a heater, and despite the chill of the water Sora was comfortable. He smiled at Simba, who smiled back. It's the same, sad smile from before, though, and Sora felt his stomach drop like a stone.

"What is it? What's wrong?" He reached out, almost unconsciously, and took Simba's hand. Simba squeezed it, and words fall off of his tongue. Sora saw his lips moving, felt sound reverberating through his ears, but he couldn't hear the words. He frowned.

"What?" Simba scowled at him. His lips moved again, and Sora watched them to see if he can read them. From what he can make of it, it looked like Simba said 'Elephant juice.' No, that couldn't be right. But…could it be that he…? When Sora just stared at him, Simba grabbed him by the shoulders and said, very slowly and clearly, the words that finally penetrated Sora's thick skull:

"I love you, Sora."

For one fleeting, incredulous, wonderful moment, Sora actually thought he meant it. That his love will not be unrequited, and that the loneliness he feels sometimes, so acutely that he can hardly bear it, will be shared with another and maybe dissipate. His heart filled with hope and wonder, but then his brain caught up, and he nearly choked when tears blurred his vision. Something, maybe the rejection from his best friend, had convinced him that anyone but his mother and Kairi were lying when they said those words. His voice was dull and scratchy when he croaked:

"Please, tell me you're joking." Simba's eyes widened, and his hands were still on Sora's shoulders, gripping softly. The warmth of his hands was torturously sweet, and Sora almost wanted to hit him for it.

"Sora, what…why would I joke about that?" Sora shook his head, closing his eyes. Clumsy words filled the air as he said,

"Because if you're joking I can just be mad. But if you're not, then Kairi told you I like you, and you're only doing this to be nice, and you're throwing away you're relationship with Nala for something you don't even want!" By this point, Sora was nearing hysteria. The mention of the lioness twisted his stomach to the point of nausea, his throat constricting painfully as he tried to reel in his sobs. Simba stared at him dumbfounded for a long moment, then shook him hard. He managed to curb his emotions enough to be quiet, though warm tears still rolled down his face when Simba cupped it between his hands, speaking loudly.

"Sora. You. Are. A. Moron. I would never say something like that to you if I didn't truly mean it! I've never even said it to Nala!" Instantly Simba looked guilty that he'd said it, and reason slowly crept back into Sora's brain. Simba's hands were softly caressing his face, and he felt heat rise to his cheeks as he sniffed, the tears slowing.

"You…you really never said it to her?" Simba nodded, a bemused smile on his face. Sora felt suddenly, and embarrassingly, like an overreacting child. His face burned as he reached up to wipe his eyes.

"I'm sorry." he muttered softly, and Simba leaned forward to rest his forehead against Sora's. Sora wasn't sure what to do, so he froze.

"I never told her that because I really don't love her, Sora. She's my best friend. She loves me, so I stay by her side. But I would never say it to her, or anyone, but you. I love you." Sora's heart swelled, almost painfully, and he chuckled a little in spite of himself.

"I love you too." The words barely made it out of his mouth before it was covered by another mouth, a soft and chaste kiss stretching between them for a moment before Simba pulled back, looking sheepish.

"I would say I'm sorry, but I'm not." he admitted. Sora smiled widely.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Sora replied, leaning in to steal another kiss.

**_AN:_** I know, it took forever. Sorry, but I'm lazy. And Halle-san kept it forever, editing it. Anyways, here's your fluff. Enjoy. (yawns)


	7. Chapter 7

**Simba's Curiosity**

It was the party of the year. Bodies were packed together in every room with barely enough room to breathe, but everyone was either so happy or so drunk they didn't care. Music blared, beating heavily against everyone's eardrums, and most everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves.

Except for Riku.

He sat by himself in a chair by the door to the kitchen from the living room, a red plastic cup held loosely in his hands. Across the room was Sora, playing tongue-tag with his _boyfriend_. Riku would want nothing more than to whip out his key blade and chop off the redhead's wandering hand. But he would never bring himself to do it, because Sora was happy.

He knew he'd messed up, badly. Sora had confessed to him, and he'd freaked the hell out. He was more shocked than disgusted, but there was no way he could sort out his own feelings while anywhere near Sora. So he'd shot him down and done a lot of thinking, foolishly assuming Sora would stay stuck on him until he could figure out if he felt the same. Then Sora had gone and found someone else. And he couldn't even be mad about it because it was his _own stupid fault_.

Riku was jolted out of his depressive thoughts by a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see Kairi frowning at him. He winced reflexively. She frowned reproachfully.

"I hope you don't plan to sit here and watch them make out all night. Come on, up. Dance with me." Being depressed apparently made Riku a bit of a pushover, because no less than three minutes of arguing later, Kairi had him on the "dance floor", which was really just the dining room with all the furniture pushed aside.

Riku wasn't a particularly good dancer, but Kairi led the way enough that he actually started to enjoy himself and get into it. Soon he wasn't paying attention to anything but the music, and it felt good to lose himself to the beat.

The doorbell rang, and Riku let Kairi leave to go answer it. It was then that he turned, and noticed Sora and boyfriend (Riku refused to acknowledge that he had a name) were coming down the stairs, looking noticeably ruffled and…flushed. It took a while for his drunk mind to figure it out, but when he did, he saw red.

People got out of his way damn fast as he stormed through the house and out into the backyard. The two potheads that sat on Kairi's old swing set took off when they saw him coming. He plopped down on the swing and channeled all his idiotic rage at himself into swinging as high as he could go.

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Sora paused on the stairs as he took in the look on Kairi's face. She looked slightly panicked, not in the "oh god Sora's mom is here" kind of way, but the "oh god the cops are here" kind of way. Because the cops were certainly less frightening than Sora's mother.

Then he noticed the woman that stood in the doorway. She had tan hair cut pixie-short, with low-set ears and a wide, flat nose. And her eyes were amber brown, just like Simba's.

"Mom?" Simba asked, sounding bewildered. The woman thrust her chin up, exuding royalty. Oh yeah, this was definitely Simba's mom.

"Simba, we need to talk." Simba flinched at these words, then glanced at Sora and Kairi. They both shrugged, so Simba followed Sarabi out of the house and into the light of a streetlamp.

"Mom, what is it? Is everything okay?" Sarabi sighed heavily, tugging uncomfortably at her human clothes.

"No, son. Nala is pregnant, and the Outlanders are threatening to invade. They see your absence as a weakness, and they think they could overpower us." Simba visibly paled and leaned against Kairi's fence.

"God. Why did this have to happen now?" he wondered aloud, fisting a hand in his hair. Sarabi was silent as he took a steadying breath and stood back up.

"Okay. I'll go back. But when-"

"_Now.._" There was a long moment where mother and son stared intently at each other, a struggle of power dominating their eyes. Then Simba finally looked away, his expression pained.

"Fine. Just…just let me say goodbye." Sarabi relented at that, watching her son walk away down the sidewalk. Then he paused and turned around, his lip between his teeth.

"I won't be able to come back, will I?" She knew how much pain this was causing Simba. He wanted to stay with Sora. Sora would want to stay with him. It would be hard to let go, and yet they both had to. Sadly, she shook her head. Simba nodded sternly and went inside.

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Sora smiled warily as Simba came back inside, staring at the floor. He wasn't sure what was going on, but-

"Sora, I have to go." Sora spent a minute processing that. When Sarabi showed back up at the door, hissing in hushed tones that they needed to go, Sora pasted on a smile and wished Simba the best of luck, carefully allowing him a hug that broke too soon. Then he quietly excused himself into the backyard.

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Riku was scuffing his shoes in the dirt when he heard the back door open and looked up. Sora, of all people, was walking slowly across the yard in his direction. Riku almost called out something crass, but then he saw the slumped shoulders and the arms crossed tightly across Sora's stomach. He refused to meet Riku's eyes as he sat on the next swing and started to rock back and forth slowly.

"…Sora?" Riku heard a sniff, and then Sora asked in a small voice,

"Riku, can you take me home?" Any anger Riku felt towards Sora left him at that, and he stood up and offered Sora a hand. Sora took it, holding it too tight as he got to his feet and Riku led him down the street.

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One year later:

"Kiara, where are you?" Kiara giggled as she heard her father's voice calling for her. She snuck further into the tall grass, carefully weaving around the stalks to prevent them from rustling. Her dad would never find her, the might huntress of the Pride Lands!

And with that thought, Kiara tripped over a rock, sprawling onto her face. She heard a guffaw not far away, and hurriedly scrambled to her feet, running up the hill so her father wouldn't find her.

Just as she was rounding the top of the hill, she looked back, seeing the red blur of her daddy's mane sticking out from the top of the grasses as he headed in her direction. She giggled again, turning forward-

-And nearly ran into a big brown lion. She nearly screeched in terror as the male turned to look at her, abnormal blue eyes widening as he saw her. Instead Kiara sank into a crouch, growling as she backed away. Brown lions meant Outlanders, and Outlanders meant trouble. Thankfully, her dad came up the hill then, stopping when he saw the brown lion.

"…Sora?" Not expecting that, Kiara looked up at her dad. He looked confused and astonished, like he'd just seen Pumba get up before midday.

"Daddy?" Simba glanced at her, then broke out in a wide smile. She relaxed minutely as he said,

"Kiara, could you give us a minute? I need to talk to Sora. He's an old friend of mine." She glanced at the older brown lion. He didn't have a full mane yet, and he wasn't fully grown, but he could certainly hunt for himself. What mane he did have was oddly spiky, and there was a shiny silver thing tangled around his neck. He grinned at her, and it was a nice grin, even if he was really weird. She smiled at her dad.

"Okay." Kiara pretended to wander away, but then quickly circled around the males to the other side of the small clearing they'd settled in. Simba settled on his haunches, grinning wildly.

"I can't believe you're here. It's been so long." Sora chuckled, sitting close to Simba.

"It hasn't been that long, you know. Only a year." Simba's face fell a little, and his eyes were thoughtful as he muttered,

"I've really missed you." The two lions shared a silent moment before Sora got closer, rubbing his head under Simba's chin. Kiara's eyes went wide as Simba hugged the other male back, looking oddly content. Then, behind her, she heard a quiet growling and whirled.

A white lion with an impressive mane was lounging on a rock nearby, glaring at her with aquamarine eyes. Kiara had seen white lions before, but this male was _shiny_, and he had the same air of weirdness that Sora did. Smirking, he beckoned to her with a paw. She nervously shimmied forward, ears back but head held high. She was a princess, after all.

"Little Kiara. I'm Riku." The male got to his feet, looming over her. She wanted desperately to take a step back, but refrained. Suddenly Simba broke through the grass behind her, and she thankfully disappeared behind his leg as the two, oldest males sized each other up.

"Riku," Simba acknowledged tensely. Sora trotted forward, glancing nervously between the other two before sitting next to Riku. Riku smirked at Simba.

"Hello, Simba. Your daughter's very pretty." Kiara peeked out from behind her dad's leg to stick her tongue at the white lion. He snickered.

"Anyways, I'm all done here. We should go, Riku," Sora said, antsy. Riku nodded, and he turned and started to walk away. Sora hesitated a moment, staring at Simba.

"Goodbye," he finally whispered, and then ran to catch up with the white lion. The two Pride Landers watched them walk away, until finally Kiara couldn't stand it anymore.

"Dad, who were they?" Simba smiled down at her, though it was an oddly sad smile.

"Just some old friends, Kiara. Maybe you'll get to go visit them some day." Kiara frowned.

"I don't think so. They were really weird." For some reason, that made her dad laugh.

AN: DONE! I was gonna write a smut scene for this, but I fell out of sync with the story and gave up. :D Now I dust my hands of this and move on, hurrah!


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